REVENGE OF THE SITH

Part IV – Discovery & Recovery

Two years.

It had been two years since Revan had said goodbye to his friends on the planet of Coruscant and two years without a word. For Bastila Shan, those had been the two hardest years she thought she had ever been through. The first year had been extremely painful, but Carth had faithfully vowed that Revan would return and that his search was taking slightly longer than he thought.

It had been so hard to go on that year. Tensions seemed to be rising within the Order and within the High Council itself. Bastila no longer felt the same protectiveness she once did while on Coruscant and she couldn’t help but notice some of the older students tended to shun her.

It was no secret now that Revan had once again disappeared from Republic space and that had started a wave of unease, especially when news of her fall got out. Though Jolee made it a point to shield her from any reporters and tell them that she had only been on the dark side for all of a few months before helping the Republic fleet beat back Malak, she was convinced everyone watched her.

She tried holding it together until Carth had told her he would be going back to Telos. That deflated her a bit. Despite how she tried to downplay it, Carth had been such a terrific help to her.

The two had never gotten on together when they had been crewmates aboard the Endar Spire, but it seemed time with one Jayden Korr had made them into close friends and she desperately needed his counsel and support during that time. It was he that suggested she leave for a short period of time, one that was strangely agreed with by most of the masters on the council.

So she did. She went back to her home world of Talravin, to see her mother. It had been many years since she had been on the planet’s surface and she could almost remember her childhood: running about on the surface streets; her father and she sitting by the nearby pond and watching the skies above; she had learned about other planets and moons from her father and thinking about that brought a painful hurt in her heart for him. And in thinking about her father, she thought about Revan.

The planet was still how she remembered it; the crisp air and the smell of the ocean always around, even when one couldn’t see one of the many lakes and ponds. In her youth, it had been a slight seaport, for those ships that came bearing harvest from a day”s catch.

It soon died out as technology enabled faster service and pre-made delicacies, but she could see a few people still enjoyed the ancient art of fishing and Talravin had a few variety of sea life, from blood eels to buzz fish, to tempered species such as the cxala and the drejil, a native species of Mon Calamari, but breed on Talravin as well.

She was surprisingly glad to be back; the melancholy of being on Rakatan making her heart ache for her birth planet. She saw lots of similarities to both planets, with their beach like sand walkways and gorgeous views of clear blue water from certain stand spots.

The docking bay was still located a few feet from a large market of sellers, to entice tourists to buy from them and to savior a taste of a hidden jewel of a planet. Once past the market, there was a modest city, with sand covered cobble stone roads and housing ranging from simple and modest to exquisite and grand.

She had contacted her mother shortly before leaving, getting her new address and location on Talravin. She was again surprised when she looked at the surrounding area; it was like the area she had grown up in – set slightly away from the hustle and bustle of the city and nestled within a small enclave that faced a much larger lake than they had when she was younger. The house was smaller, one to suit a recently widowed woman, and the exterior was reminiscent of their old home.

So lost in her memories, she failed to see her mother open the door and stare at her. “It does look like the old house, doesn’t it?” she asked, quietly, startling Bastila from her thoughts.

“Yes.” she said, looking from her mother to the house. “I…was noticing that as well. The color…is the same. I guess…I guess I was…lost in thought.” Shaking her head, she gave the elder Shan a smile. “How are you, Mother?”

“Fine, Dear,” she replied, standing to the side to allow her daughter access. “Come in, come in.”

Bastila walked inside, glancing around at the trinkets she remembered in her home as a child. Her eyes wandered over a few pictures, mostly the ones with her father. She had nearly forgotten his face until she had that holocron in her hands on Tatooine and truly, if it hadn’t been for Revan, she would’ve kept it and rushed off without seeing her mother again.

After that, she had wondered if Carth had the same hardships in remembering his wife as she had with her father. But she had figured his being reunited with his son, he could at least remember her features; while Dustil did indeed look like his father, she imagined he looked like his mother in some regards.

Did her mother see her father within her? She had told Revan she was stubborn, just as he was, but she had always imagined she had gotten that trait from her mother.

“The house is lovely, Mother,” she said, distractedly, her eyes looking at a holo of her and her father when she was quite little.

Helena stood at her side, glancing at the picture her daughter stared at. Had the years gone by so fast, that her little girl was now a woman? Galen, if he had lived, would’ve been proud, she was sure and even more appreciative of the young man that was currently courting her.

“Your father would be proud, Bastila,” she whispered, causing her daughter to nod slowly. “I’m sure he is, somewhere, where ever he is. Now, how about some tea? It’s a rare treat indeed that those masters of yours let you out of your play pen to visit an old woman like myself.”

“Mother!”

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it?” The elder Shan looked up at her daughter, placing a cup of tea across the table from her.

Bastila shook her head, willing herself not to smile or even grin at her mother’s comments. “It’s no wonder you and Revan get along so well,” she said, wryly, taking the offered seat and picking up her cup.

“I do hope you talked some sense into him.” Helena replied. “You should’ve seen the state he was in while you were gone. That man would’ve withered himself away if you hadn’t returned.” She took a sip of her tea. “Speaking of which, where is Revan? I told him as soon as you came back, that you both should visit.”

Bastila gave a rather bitter laugh. “That’s actually why I came,” she muttered. “Revan’s gone.”

“What?” the elder woman cried. “I didn’t want to believe he was the kind of man that loves and then leaves, but if he so much as…”

“Oh no, Mother, you misunderstand,” she interrupted. “Revan and I haven’t…things are quite…” she tried to still her blush, but she couldn’t contain a small smile. “Things are perfectly fine between us, very fine indeed…” She was smiling again and couldn’t seem to get her thoughts off the man who would very well be her husband one day.

“I see.” Helena raised an eyebrow at her daughter, a knowing smile hidden behind her cup as she took another sip. The young woman had the grace to blush slightly at her ramblings. “And how fine are things, dear?” she asked. “In fact, I believe you’re exact words were going to be ‘quite fine’. Exactly what have you and that darling man been up to, hmmm?”

She had told her mother everything, from her leading the task team aboard Darth Revan’s ship to Revan’s departure a year ago. She held nothing back, almost needing her mother to understand why Revan had left and why it left such a hole in her.

Helena had been slightly taken aback; in all the years she had known her daughter, she had never been this open and forthright with her. Bastila had always turned to her father for comfort and confidence, so to now be sitting in her living quarters with her daughter basically describing her life since leaving, well…she was shocked.

Though the more she heard about Revan’s story, the more endeared she was to the young man. She had heard the holo news reports on him; how he had defied the Jedi Council in order to help the Republic fight the Mandalorians and how he had turned on them.

Not being in tune with the Force as her daughter was, Helena couldn’t really understand how one fell to the evil side of it — it was all rather abstract — but she did try her best to grasp the concept of it. But she understood how people got to points of despair and how it could overwhelm them – she had been there; Galen had been there when he refused to let her go. As far as she was concerned, both Revan and Bastila had reached a point of darkness and without each other, they never would’ve come out of it.

“Is that how you fell then, Bastila?” Helena asked, softly.

The young woman sighed, still finding it painful to discuss. “I fell because…” she began. “I fell because…I guess, in a way, I felt helpless. Malak…he was the brute squad while they fought the Mandalorians, I’m sure of that. He wasn’t gentle in his…interrogations. He knew what would cut to my heart and that was Revan. I think…I think I may have let my emotions get out of control. May have…I did let my emotions get out of control. I hated Malak for everything he had put me through and for that, I would kill him.

“And I hated the Jedi Council for sending me on that mission in the first place, for…praising me on my talents, but never giving me any kind of chance to prove that I could instill what I had learned to a padawan of my own. I suppose they would say that Revan was my padawan, but that’s laughable. Revan was a Jedi Master while I was still a padawan myself, all those years ago. If anything, Revan taught me, not the other way around.”

“So what made Revan fall?” her mother asked quietly.

Bastila shook her head, some of the images she had gotten glimpses of from Revan couldn’t really tell the story. “I think…” she began. “I think like most things, it didn’t start out to be harmful. When Revan and Malak went to battle the Mandalorians, they were doing it to help the people of the Republic and with that, they would do anything to make sure the Republic wouldn’t fall. And I believe…Revan took a wrong path somewhere believing it was the right one to take.

“I always condemned those who went because they disregarded the masters and their knowledge, instead of waiting to see what could happen, but now…I guess in light of some things…even I’m beginning to believe that Revan was right and the masters were wrong.”

Helena nodded, knowing how difficult it must’ve been for Bastila to admit that to her. “You’ve got quite the young man, dear,” her mother smiled. The young woman blushed. “And I can see you’re quite taken with him and he with you.”

“He asked me to marry him.” The woman whispered, fighting off a silly grin and failing.

“And?”

“I said yes, of course.”

Helena laughed. “Well of course you would,” she replied. “I get the impression your young man is quite hard to resist.”

Bastila spent most of the year with her mother on Talravin, getting to know the woman she had despised all her life. In getting to know Helena, the young woman tried to understand why she had come to hate the woman. It seemed simple, of course. In the eyes of a little girl, a father could do no wrong and she could admit she may have been jealous and hurt when he had to go off without her.

And after learning her father had wanted her to join him on some of his expeditions and it was her mother who had wanted better for her…well…Bastila wasn’t a little girl anymore. As a woman, she understood – now – that letting a five year old get near a krayt dragon was by far the stupidest thing anyone could do.

She spent that year reconnecting with her mother and finding at least some happiness during that time.

And then the second year came.

The second year was harder than the first. It seemed tensions had mounted out of control on Coruscant. When she had returned, she had gotten a message from Juhani that the Cathar was heading back to Dantooine.

Apparently an influx of mercenaries and some of the settlers had viewed the abandoned Jedi Academy as a free for all store and there were very few Jedi left on the planet to stop them. Bastila was sad to see her go, but she was even more surprised when Jolee had said he was leaving. As in the planet of Coruscant and the Jedi Order.

For good.

“Still the same pompous, self righteous, think they know everything, pains in a rancor”s hide…” he had spat when she had asked why he wanted to leave.

And it seemed Jolee wasn’t the only Jedi Master who felt that way. Soon, about thirty Jedi had left the Order to parts unknown and it put the Jedi Councils on a huge alert. Dustil Onasi had come to her about a week after Jolee had left. The young man had just wanted someone to meditate with, but soon the two were talking about their concerns.

“What do you think this means?” he had asked. “For the Order that is?”

Bastila shook her head. “I don’t know.” She whispered. “Things must be pretty bad if Jolee has inspired others not to have anything to do with it.” She had turned to him then. “What will you do now? I doubt Jolee would just hand you over to a new master.”

The young man chuckled. “Actually…” he said, sheepishly. “He kinda did.” He looked at her and watched as realization came over her face.

“He didn’t…”

Dustil nodded his head. “Only for a short time, I think.” He replied. “He…he told me where I could find him, so that if anything happened, I knew where he was. But he said that I needed to learn…life…from someone who was going through it as well.”

“And what precisely does that mean?” she asked, completely confused. Dustil just shrugged.

“He said it would do me good to learn about being a Jedi from someone who was a “Damned fine Jedi”, as he said.”

Bastila blushed, flattered at such a compliment. “I’m not sure what to say.” she whispered.

“Say you’ll train me?” he asked. “Just for a little while. I really don’t want to be under Master Vrook.”

She smirked. “He’s really not all that bad,” she said. Seeing his look, she countered with, “He’s my master as well, you know.” Raising an eyebrow, she muttered, “That might actually explain some things.”

“I think so.” He chuckled. She gave him a playful shove, only causing him to laugh harder. “My dad wanted me to come to Telos in a few weeks,” he continued. “I’m sure he’d want to see you.”

Bastila thought it over, wondering if she could even be allowed to go, but then something nagged at her. She had been quite surprised when the masters had let her leave to go to Talravin and now she was even more shocked that they were letting Dustil go and see his father.

Personal attachments were highly frowned on, hence why only children were trained. A child”s mind is easily distracted from a memory of a family and a life other than that of Jedi training. There were few – her included – that still remembered some part of their childhood.

Were things getting so bad within the Order that the council was letting things slid right under them?

“Bastila!”

Carth Onasi was truly surprised indeed. Where he’d only be expecting his son to visit him, he was elated to see his former crew mate as well. He had felt horrible at leaving her last year, but he had to tie up any lose ends with the Republic.

He had finally done it, finally gotten out and retired. He had done everything he had to. It felt strange to tell Adm. Dodonna his decision and even stranger when she asked that he at least consider this a vacation of sorts should another problem arise.

Remembering his promise to Revan, he nodded and while he said he was official, on the Republic books it listed him as “on leave – indefinitely”.

Now that his past was firmly behind him, he could at least see his son. He knew the Jedi frowned on attachments of any kind, but he’d be damned if they kept him from the man he hadn’t seen grow up. He didn’t know all of what was happening, but Dustil had told him things seemed ‘off’ somehow on Coruscant and when he asked if he could come home for a bit, of course Carth wouldn’t say no.

He had been surprised that first time back on his home planet. There was still some damage from Saul’s treachery, but it had mostly come back to its original beautiful colors. Czerka Corp had moved in like a rancor on a meal, setting up ‘stations’ around the area.

They were like giant apartments complexes and while he was glad his planet had gotten help, he wished it hadn’t been from Czerka. On the far side of the planet, they were setting up some sort of rely station; he had only heard about it from a friend of his and they had a few mercs on their payroll as well and that was never a good sign.

For now, he was in the D complexes of apartments, those set aside for the station’s police force and some of the military officers that were abroad. It didn’t feel like home to him, though maybe that was a good thing.

It wasn’t like the house he and his family had lived in, but for him and Dustil, it was fine. It was fairly large, two beds/one bath, with a living room that connected to the kitchen and a cut away sitting area. It was just him and when Dustil came, it was just the two of them, so there was no need for anything bigger.

Upon seeing the young woman, he couldn’t help but hug her. She didn’t want to be coddled, he knew that, but he also knew this was taking its toll on her and if he was honest, on him as well. Revan had been gone for two years now and even Carth began to worry that something might have happened.

But as soon as those thoughts popped up, he clearly reminded himself that this was Revan they were speaking of. He had proved his worth and his uncanny ability to get in and out of trouble with little more than a scratch.

If anyone would come back from a quest such as this, it was Revan.

“What’re you doing here?” he asked, making way for Dustil to get through with their bags.

“Dustil said he was coming back and he asked if I wanted to see you and well…here I am.” She said, a smile on her face.

The pilot returned the smile, all the while looking at her. The smile, though pleasant and heart felt, didn’t quite reach her eyes. Carth prided himself on knowing people – even though it bit him in the ass with Saul – and he knew Bastila. He could tell from her eyes.

“Something’s up,” he whispered.

She raised an eyebrow at him and those blue eyes of hers darted to where Dustil was leaving one room and walking into another. She took the officer’s arm, leading him over to the couch that rested within the living area. “Did Dustil tell you about Jolee?”

“No,” he drawled. “But I bet it’s not good.”

“He’s left the Order.”

“Again?” he asked. “Why this time?”

“You know Jolee,” she sighed. “Though I think it might be a true case in this instance. A lot of the other knights and masters have followed him as well. I mean, don’t you think it’s rather strange that the masters have granted Dustil the time to spend with you? Or for me to go to see my mother?”

“I had hoped the ice melted around their hearts,” he quipped. He chuckled at her look. “You’re right, of course,” he said. “I did think something was up with that. I just figured Dustil had put up a fight about it, but now…what about Juhani?”

“On Dantooine,” she replied, taking a seat on the couch. “She said that there was an influx of mercenaries and that the settlers were plundering the Academy ruins. I can’t help but think that if wasn’t just her decision to go.”

“Something’s going on.”

She looked at him, watching as he took a seat on the armrest. “What an odd way to put it.” She murmured.

“You don’t think so?”

“Oh, I know there’s something going on,” she insisted. “There must be. Despite all that Jolee said and complained about, I know how he felt about trying to reach just one student and curb them of the Jedi Code. I mean…not in a bad way,” she said, after seeing his look of surprise.

“You know how he felt about the masters teaching us that emotions lead to the dark side. Believe me, I know better than anyone about how…difficult it is to ignore that teaching. If anything, he was trying to get an…even keel, I think he once said, to it all.

“And there’s something happening within the Council itself, Carth,” she continued. “Something must have them so distracted that Dustil and I have slid right under their noses. And I’m even more surprised they haven’t spoken out about so many of the Order leaving.” She shook her head in confusion. “Do you…do you think Revan may have…foreseen this?”

Carth shrugged. “You’re the one who knows more about this than I do.” He said. “All I know is that he said…he was worried about something and that we needed to prepare ourselves for something. He…he just said to keep the Republic steady. I have no idea if what he saw included what’s happening now.” He saw she was still unconvinced. “Hey,” he said. “It’s probably nothing or worse, politics. Every group has them. This is what this is, I’m sure.”

What Carth couldn’t be sure of was what was truly taking place within the galaxy and it would suddenly make its mark only a few months after Dustil and Bastila had come to Telos.

Though it felt odd to be training someone, Bastila and Dustil got along well. The anger and awkwardness that had been present the first time the two had met was gone and was replaced with a friendly camaraderie between two students who just happened to be waylaid away from their training ground.

Dustil enjoyed their time spent, especially if his father could spare the time to spar with them. He and Bastila always made it a point to team against the young padawan, citing that if he couldn’t take on two opponents, he would surely suffer the consequences.

The padawan was surprised at how well the two seemed to work together and how they easily choreographed the other”s moves. He chalked it up to the fact that they must”ve fought a lot while on their mission, but he couldn’t help to ask it one day.

“We ended up spending a lot of time together,” she replied, chuckling. “Revan made sure of it. He always liked pairing up with people who were sure not to get along with each other. I’m surprised Carth and Canderous never killed each other, or Juhani and Canderous for that matter. Looking back, he certainly did manage to get a motley group together.”

Dustil wasn’t sure how to respond. He still felt the underlying bitterness at Revan’s actions, but he remembered his conversation with Jolee, that Revan now had no true knowledge of what he had done and more over, he hadn’t even given the order for the attack on Telos. “He did…seem that way.” He said, after a time. He looked around their surroundings.

They had begun to use the sitting room as a psuedo training area. They had also made a separate section for Bastila to stay in, after she had refused to kick Carth or Dustil out of their rooms for her comfort and both Onasi men had vehemently refused to make her sleep on the couch. It was a fairly large room, with enough space to do some light training, nothing that would cause a huge amount of damage.

“What is Revan like?” he asked, so softly that Bastila almost didn’t hear him. “I mean…” he stumbled, clearing his throat. “I mean, he seems different from the…the man he…should be, I guess.” He looked up sheepishly at Bastila. “I’m not really sure what I’m saying here.”

Bastila grinned. “I’m…sure it’s not a surprise anymore what happened to him.” Dustil shrugged. “Well, at any rate, I know Jolee told you the whole story.” The young man nodded. “He…he has…” she struggled to explain.

“Revan was never a bad person, Dustil,” she stated. “He was a good Jedi and like a good Jedi, he went to war for the Republic, even when the masters said not to. Believe me, Dustil,” she said, seeing the look he gave her.

“I was the most outspoken opponent of them going to war, but…” she stopped, swallowing. “I’ve learned a lot about the way Revan may have been before…all this. I truly think Revan wanted what was best and that…if anyone carried the ideals of the Order – that we serve and protect the Republic in times of need – it was Revan and I think people fail to see that.” She looked at him. “Not that I condone what he became. I don’t. I just…I think Revan has good in him, he does.

“You should’ve seen the things he did on our mission, Dustil. He gave money to people who were in need, he helped people with their personal quests…your father even said he ran into a pen full of people suffering from the rakghoul disease on Taris, just to give them the antidote. They were attacked, of course, and a few that could not be saved, but he risked his life in order to help those he could.”

“You’re really into him, aren’t you?” he asked, with a small smile. He had seen that goofy look on a person”s face before; hell, he had that look on his one time, long ago.

Bastila blushed. “Let’s…let’s get back to your training.” She stuttered.

They meditated for a brief moment, before Dustil again began asking questions about the prodigal knight. The young man didn’t know what possessed him, but something told him he had to know; had to know what made someone like Revan fall so far and why…why he had seemingly lost both his parents the day Telos was attacked. A nagging voice told him that he was one to talk, being a former Sith himself, but he quickly pushed it aside.

Bastila looked at him, almost seeing his inner struggle. She gathered he still harbored anger for Revan – for her – for their actions. “I know no amount of apology or perhaps even time can erase the…pain you went through.” She murmured.

Dustil nodded, a strange thing even to himself. Maybe it showed the growth of maturity he had gained or perhaps there was some calm to his meditating and Jedi lessons. All he knew was that, had this been any other time, he would’ve behaved badly. “The three of us have a lot in common,” he said, throwing her a look.

She nodded and was about to respond when Carth appeared at the entranceway. “We’ve got problems,” was all he said before he returned to the living room, she and Dustil right behind him. In the living area, they could see a holo of Jolee, waiting by the wall.

“Where’d you go?” he asked. “Kashyyyk?”

“And hello to you too, Jolee.” Bastila replied, sweetly.

Jolee hmphed, then sighed. “This isn’t a social call and I wish I wasn’t the one to do this either.” He said.

Carth had just gotten back from lunch with a friend from the Telos police force when the message came in from Jolee. The former hermit wouldn’t go into details, just that he needed to speak to Dustil immediately. At the tone of his voice, the pilot had asked if he should get Bastila too. Jolee had looked at him in surprised and nodded.

The holo again sighed. “I thought I should tell you before you hear about it on the news.” he said. “About a standard hour ago, Coruscant was bombed.”

“What?!” the three exclaimed.

“To be more precise, the Jedi Temple.” he continued. “It’s…it’s gone. I mean, there is nothing left. it’s just…rubble now, really.”

“You can’t be serious,” Bastila whispered.

“I am.”

“But…but who?” Dustil stumbled.

Jolee looked away before turning back to the trio. “I’m going to tell the three of you something that should’ve been said by the Council,” he replied. “We’ve…had some problems, I’m sure you’ve heard. Some Jedi forces had been sent out to try and scrape up the last of the Malak’s followers.

“Some of those forces didn’t come back and the remaining ones that did were…well, I’ll get to that. Anyway, being a master, I’m privy to these kinds of things. I learned that there’s some indecision going on with the council over Vandar”s vision. You know the one they thought was about the Mandalorian War?

“Well, turns out Vandar isn’t too sure himself. So, back to the Jedi task forces. They were small, about three or four people assigned to a few Republic ships, like you were Bastila, and then they went to try and find any remnants of Sith.

“The ones that came back…they came back and told the Council they had been ambushed and not in the regular Sith way either. Seems Malak had a surprise for us. He trained a bunch of Sith assassins to try and rid the galaxy of Jedi. And so far, it’s working.”

Carth and Bastila exchanged a look.

“When I asked if anyone else knew or if they planned on telling the others, the answer was of course not. Damnedable reasoning. This mysteriousness could very well get us all killed and you know what I think, I…”

“You’re rambling, old man.” Carth interrupted.

“Right,” he said, sheepishly. “Where was I? Right, the secrets. Well, I was getting a bit tired for them, so I decided I didn’t want anymore. Sorry about dropping you off like that, sonny, but for now I figured Bastila needed a challenge in her padawan.” He gave the young woman a wink.

“About the Temple, Jolee…”

“Right.” he continued. “It…it came out of no where, that’s what I heard. Just cause I’m not there doesn’t mean I don’t have my contacts. Like I said, who ever did this, bombed the hell out of the place, devastated it. Reports have it that a single fighter just rammed into it and then, there was a large interdictor ship, massive was the word, and it was just over the Temple and then…” The elder Jedi shook his head.

“There’s nothing left,” he continued, sighing. “The Republic is stretched thin as is and there was no way they could”ve gotten there in time. Only the Jedi on Coruscant were the law there and now…”

The former master rubbed his forehead with his hand. “And to top it off, apparently the Republic”s getting a bit antsy about all the secrets we may still have and so are the people of neighboring planets. I don’t know who did it, but someone”s given the Exchange a job. They have a half a million credit bounty on our heads.”

“You’re not serious!” Carth exclaimed.

“They can’t do that!” Dustil cried. “Without the Order…”

“They can and they have, sonny.” Jolee blew out a breath, then shook his head again. “When news came around about Revan and Bastila and you…people don’t like being lied to, especially when they find out they have been lied to. The Republic isn’t going to offer us any help at the moment, so…”

“What’re we going to do then?” Carth asked. “There’s no way you guys can go back to Coruscant or Dantooine…oh no! Juhani!”

“Don’t worry,” Jolee replied. “She’s fine and off Dantooine. As for us, take an old man”s advice, both of you, stay where you’re at. Telos is one in only a few places that’s going to be fairly kind to us now. A lot of exiled members ended up going there and that’s where I want you to stay, get me?”

“But what about the others?” Bastila asked. “And the Order itself?”

Jolee sighed, sadly. “I don’t think there is an Order anymore.” He said, stunning the trio before him. “I know some got out. I don’t know how many, but even if I did, I couldn’t tell you. For now, all we can do is lay low until hopefully this thing blows over. Now I’m serious about this, the two of you stay put. That goes for you too, Carth. Who knows if this was one of those assassins and they have a big blaster pointed at us? don’t go anywhere. I’ll keep in touch.”

With that, the image faded, leaving three completely shocked people on the other end. “The Temple is gone?” Dustil repeated, looking over at Bastila and Carth.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Carth murmured. “First the Jedi Academy on Dantooine and now the temple on Coruscant. And assassins trained to come after you…someone is obviously out to destroy the entire Jedi Order.”

“But who?” the young woman asked. “And why?”

Dustil cleared his throat, knowing that even thinking what he was would not make the other two happy. “I’m…just thinking it would have to be someone who truly and honestly hated the Jedi.” He gave them both a look.

“That’s not funny, Dustil,” Carth growled. “Despite the problems he may have with the Jedi Council, Revan would not just bomb the temple.”

“All Revan wanted was to be left alone by them,” Bastila continued, shaking her head. “He had even told the masters he would leave the Order.”

“Just…saying, is all.”

“No,” she said. “This is something…much different. Revan was a brilliant tactician, that’s true, and this plot definitely has someone with a strategic mind behind it, but it’s not Revan. He’s the kind of man that goes after what he wants and most times, he’s not subtle about it either. If he wanted the masters dead, he wouldn’t endanger other peoples” lives in order to do it. Not again.”

“I’m with Bastila,” Carth nodded. “This is…just…just too random. And now this damn bounty. there’s nowhere either of you can hide. I agree with Jolee here. You guys can’t leave.”

“There’s really nothing left for us to go back to.” Dustil murmured. The three stood in contemplative silence, each thinking of something. They were not aware, however, that they all thought the same thing. Could Revan truly be responsible for this latest terror? And if not Revan, than who?